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KAREN SARGSYAN'S FIGURATIVE SCULPTURES EXHIBITED IN NETHERLANDS
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2009 21:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is hard to define sculpture these days. Artists
continue to make three-dimensional objects, but the range and variety
of materials they employ defy classification. This is enchantingly
evident in a show by the Armenian artist Karen Sargsyan at the Hudson
Valley Center for Contemporary Art. Mr. Sargsyan, 36, makes figurative
sculptures from cut paper. The works in the current show were created
during his stay in Peekskill last fall as the center's artist in
residence. Depending on how you look at it, the exhibition consists
of either hundreds of individual cut paper sculptures arranged across
the mezzanine gallery or a single installation made up of many parts.
Immediately eye-catching is a figure trailed by a black dog on the
landing outside the show's entrance. The figure is leaning over the
railing, looking down at the galleries below. Both dog and figure
are intricately constructed from layers of colored paper and are
remarkable for their playfulness and dynamism; from certain angles,
it looks as if the dog is getting ready to bite the man's bottom.
Dominating the exhibition is the sculpture of an outsize figure sunken
into a collapsed throne with a scepter across his right leg. He is
a king, or at least has the trappings of royalty. To his left is
a kneeling knight, while surrounding him is a group of jesters who
seem to be performing for his entertainment. It is a theatrical scene
reminiscent of baroque paintings of life in princely courts.
Especially interesting about this grouping of figures is the way
in which each of them is engaged in some sort of dramatic gesture,
highly suggestive of movement, yet frozen in space and time. I like
this tension, for it invites deeper contemplation of the symbolism
of the scene. Why is the king sacked out on the floor? Has he been
deposed and is living in exile? Are these additional figures that
surround him all that remain of his once loyal and devoted subjects?
Viewers looking for guidance on how to interpret this installation will
find little relief in the oblique title, "Abroad Understanding." Nor
is there an exhibition catalog or brochure to narrow things down a
little. Still, clues can be found in the work itself. The clothes on
the figures appear frayed, even chewed up or eaten away, suggesting
that the king has been out of power for some time. He and his entourage
are living in exile.
You might also notice that the expressions on the faces of several
of the figures are strained, suggesting feelings of suffering and
pain. That Mr. Sargsyan can convey pathos in paper is indicative
of his tremendous skill with scissors, and no doubt why in 2007 he
won the Netherlands's prestigious Thieme Art Award, given annually
to a promising young artist, and is being heralded as a rising art
world star.
Mr. Sargsyan, who lives in Amsterdam, originally worked in clay,
later moving to paper. It was a smart decision, for while there are
numerous contemporary artists working with ceramics, no contemporary
international artist that I can think of makes work on this scale
using slivers of cut paper. It helps him stand out from the crowd --
in the same way that colorful Styrofoam sculptures distinguish Folkert
de Jong, another well-known young Dutch artist.
But that is where the comparison ends, for the two artists have
different sources of inspiration. Whereas Mr. de Jong is interested
in political issues and history, Mr. Sargsyan is interested in
theatricality and process.
Littering the floor around Mr. Sargsyan's figures are bits and pieces
of scrap paper, several preparatory sculptures of human faces and
limbs, along with paper renditions of scissors and a tape dispenser. By
not cleaning up the gallery the artist invites us to see the space
as a studio, as a laboratory for ideas, and the artwork as an active,
changing work in progress.
The artist's choice of material raises obvious questions about the
durability of his installations, since paper tends to discolor,
sag and even degrade over time, especially when exposed to light and
moisture. But Mr. Sargsyan uses a special kind of heavy-duty archival
paper, much like that used as a support for drawings and paintings. He
believes that with good care, these sculptures can last forever.
"Karen Sargsyan: Abroad Understanding" Hudson Valley Center
for Contemporary Art, 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, through May
24. Information: (914) 788-0100 or hvcca.org.
Amsterdam based artist Karen Sargsyan came to Peekskill in October
2008 as an HVCCA Artist-in-Resident. He worked in the Hat Factory in
Peekskill, home to many local artists and produced a site-specific
sculptural installation for his solo exhibition "Abroad Understanding"
in HVCCA's mezzanine gallery. Additional work by Sargsyan will also
be included in HVCCA's 2009 exhibition "DOUBLE DUTCH: Exploring The
Soul of Dutch Art Through the Works of Seven Installation Artists"
opening September 12 -13, 2009.
Karen Sargsyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1973 and currently
lives and works in Amsterdam. He studied at the Rijksakademie van
beeldende kunsten/Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science,
Amsterdam, NL in 2006-2007 and Atelier Winston Huisman, Arnhem,
NL in 1999-2001. In 2007 he received the Thieme Art Award and a
fellowship with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/DCO/IC, NL
in 2006. Recent 2008 solo exhibitions include 'The Theory of Art',
Buro Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, NL, and Suzie Q Projects, Bob van Orsow
Gallery, Zurich, SW. Upcoming 2009 exhibitions include 'Mad Museum',
a group exhibition at The Museum of Arts and Design, New York and
'StressedShelter' at KW14, s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Karen is
represented by Galerie Juliette Jongma in Amsterdam.
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2009 21:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is hard to define sculpture these days. Artists
continue to make three-dimensional objects, but the range and variety
of materials they employ defy classification. This is enchantingly
evident in a show by the Armenian artist Karen Sargsyan at the Hudson
Valley Center for Contemporary Art. Mr. Sargsyan, 36, makes figurative
sculptures from cut paper. The works in the current show were created
during his stay in Peekskill last fall as the center's artist in
residence. Depending on how you look at it, the exhibition consists
of either hundreds of individual cut paper sculptures arranged across
the mezzanine gallery or a single installation made up of many parts.
Immediately eye-catching is a figure trailed by a black dog on the
landing outside the show's entrance. The figure is leaning over the
railing, looking down at the galleries below. Both dog and figure
are intricately constructed from layers of colored paper and are
remarkable for their playfulness and dynamism; from certain angles,
it looks as if the dog is getting ready to bite the man's bottom.
Dominating the exhibition is the sculpture of an outsize figure sunken
into a collapsed throne with a scepter across his right leg. He is
a king, or at least has the trappings of royalty. To his left is
a kneeling knight, while surrounding him is a group of jesters who
seem to be performing for his entertainment. It is a theatrical scene
reminiscent of baroque paintings of life in princely courts.
Especially interesting about this grouping of figures is the way
in which each of them is engaged in some sort of dramatic gesture,
highly suggestive of movement, yet frozen in space and time. I like
this tension, for it invites deeper contemplation of the symbolism
of the scene. Why is the king sacked out on the floor? Has he been
deposed and is living in exile? Are these additional figures that
surround him all that remain of his once loyal and devoted subjects?
Viewers looking for guidance on how to interpret this installation will
find little relief in the oblique title, "Abroad Understanding." Nor
is there an exhibition catalog or brochure to narrow things down a
little. Still, clues can be found in the work itself. The clothes on
the figures appear frayed, even chewed up or eaten away, suggesting
that the king has been out of power for some time. He and his entourage
are living in exile.
You might also notice that the expressions on the faces of several
of the figures are strained, suggesting feelings of suffering and
pain. That Mr. Sargsyan can convey pathos in paper is indicative
of his tremendous skill with scissors, and no doubt why in 2007 he
won the Netherlands's prestigious Thieme Art Award, given annually
to a promising young artist, and is being heralded as a rising art
world star.
Mr. Sargsyan, who lives in Amsterdam, originally worked in clay,
later moving to paper. It was a smart decision, for while there are
numerous contemporary artists working with ceramics, no contemporary
international artist that I can think of makes work on this scale
using slivers of cut paper. It helps him stand out from the crowd --
in the same way that colorful Styrofoam sculptures distinguish Folkert
de Jong, another well-known young Dutch artist.
But that is where the comparison ends, for the two artists have
different sources of inspiration. Whereas Mr. de Jong is interested
in political issues and history, Mr. Sargsyan is interested in
theatricality and process.
Littering the floor around Mr. Sargsyan's figures are bits and pieces
of scrap paper, several preparatory sculptures of human faces and
limbs, along with paper renditions of scissors and a tape dispenser. By
not cleaning up the gallery the artist invites us to see the space
as a studio, as a laboratory for ideas, and the artwork as an active,
changing work in progress.
The artist's choice of material raises obvious questions about the
durability of his installations, since paper tends to discolor,
sag and even degrade over time, especially when exposed to light and
moisture. But Mr. Sargsyan uses a special kind of heavy-duty archival
paper, much like that used as a support for drawings and paintings. He
believes that with good care, these sculptures can last forever.
"Karen Sargsyan: Abroad Understanding" Hudson Valley Center
for Contemporary Art, 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, through May
24. Information: (914) 788-0100 or hvcca.org.
Amsterdam based artist Karen Sargsyan came to Peekskill in October
2008 as an HVCCA Artist-in-Resident. He worked in the Hat Factory in
Peekskill, home to many local artists and produced a site-specific
sculptural installation for his solo exhibition "Abroad Understanding"
in HVCCA's mezzanine gallery. Additional work by Sargsyan will also
be included in HVCCA's 2009 exhibition "DOUBLE DUTCH: Exploring The
Soul of Dutch Art Through the Works of Seven Installation Artists"
opening September 12 -13, 2009.
Karen Sargsyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1973 and currently
lives and works in Amsterdam. He studied at the Rijksakademie van
beeldende kunsten/Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science,
Amsterdam, NL in 2006-2007 and Atelier Winston Huisman, Arnhem,
NL in 1999-2001. In 2007 he received the Thieme Art Award and a
fellowship with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/DCO/IC, NL
in 2006. Recent 2008 solo exhibitions include 'The Theory of Art',
Buro Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, NL, and Suzie Q Projects, Bob van Orsow
Gallery, Zurich, SW. Upcoming 2009 exhibitions include 'Mad Museum',
a group exhibition at The Museum of Arts and Design, New York and
'StressedShelter' at KW14, s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Karen is
represented by Galerie Juliette Jongma in Amsterdam.